Rebecca Parkinson

Birthda

yThe

Present

Rebecca Parkinson

Biriri ththt dhdh adadTB

TBhThT e he h

PB

PBrPrP erer se

Ballerina

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B a l l e r i n a N e c k l a c e

Grandad always said that Daisy was his pretty, precious princess. That’s why he gave her a special present.

‘Daisy,’ he said, ‘precious princesses should learn precious secrets. This book will teach you many of the things you need to know as you grow up in this world. Read it well.’

It was then that the adventures began …

It was a beautiful day and Daisy was desperate to go outside to play in the sunshine. She finished her breakfast quickly and danced towards the door.

‘Don’t forget Polly’s coming round in a few minutes,’ called Mum, as she gently rocked baby Jack to sleep in the pram.

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B a l l e r i n a N e c k l a c e

All of Daisy’s good feelings rolled away. ‘Oh, Mum,’ she grumbled. ‘Does she have to? You

know I don’t like Polly. No one likes her.’Mum frowned. ‘You may not like her Daisy but

you can still make an effort to play with her,’ she said firmly.

Daisy stomped into the garden and sat down on the swing. She didn’t want to play with Polly. Polly always spoilt games and the last time she had come round to play, Daisy’s favourite ballerina necklace had disappeared. Daisy was sure Polly had stolen it.

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When she opened her eyes Daisy was standing behind a large stone pillar in what appeared to be a long, dimly lit corridor. She was wearing a long dress that reached to her ankles and she had sandals on her feet. Slowly Daisy leaned to one side and peeped out from behind the pillar.

To her surprise, Daisy found herself looking into a large courtyard. In one direction there was a huge flight of stairs leading to one of the most beautiful buildings she had ever seen. Even through half-closed eyes the view still dazzled Daisy, as the sunlight reflected off the golden decoration and marble columns.

Looking in the opposite direction Daisy could see an entrance to the courtyard. She watched as a little boy, holding firmly onto his mum’s hand, moved through the gateway and headed towards her.

T h e B i r t h d a y P r e s e n t

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‘I love coming here to the Temple,’ the little boy whispered to his mum as they walked past. ‘It makes me feel all happy inside and, you never know, we might see Jesus!’

Daisy saw his mum nod towards a man resting against a pillar close by.

‘Is that Him?’ asked the little boy, wonder shining in his eyes.

His mum smiled and nodded again. ‘Yes,’ she said quietly. ‘But we won’t disturb Him.

Maybe He just wants some time to Himself.’

Suddenly a loud clatter made Daisy jump. She turned to see an old man emptying a bulging bag full of money into a large box. Daisy was sure he could have emptied the bag more quietly!

As she watched, Daisy saw lots of people repeating the man’s action. Each person seemed to make as much noise as they could, as if hoping that everybody would see what large amounts of money they were giving to the Temple.

T h e B i r t h d a y P r e s e n t

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It was then that Daisy realised that Jesus wasn’t taking any notice of these people, despite the loud clattering of their coins. Instead His eyes were following an elderly woman as she slowly made her way towards the collection boxes. Daisy watched her too. She looked different to many of the other people in the courtyard. Her clothes were old and worn and she wasn’t carrying a money bag.

As the woman moved nearer, she slowly lifted one hand and slipped two tiny copper coins noiselessly into one of the boxes. Then she turned quietly and walked away.

T h e B i r t h d a y P r e s e n t

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Daisy nodded as Grandma reached out and picked up the vase of buttercups.

‘Well, look at these,’ she said laughing. ‘My favourite flowers in a vase painted with my favourite colours. Someone knew exactly what I would like for my birthday!’

Daisy smiled when she saw the look on Grandma’s face. She had seen the same look on someone else’s face earlier that day; a look that understood the effort that had gone into giving a special gift. Daisy felt tingly inside. This time it wasn’t the start of a new adventure, but the knowledge that she had made Grandma very happy.

Why not read this story in your own Bible? You will find it in Bible book Luke, chapter 21 verses 1 to 4.

T h e B i r t h d a y P r e s e n t

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Ballerina Necklace + The Birthday Present

For Lydia. Thank you x

Other titles in this series include:

Harry’s Hideout: Spot the Difference/Big SplashHarry’s Hideout: Glorious Mud/Mini-beastsPrecious Princess: Ballerina Necklace/The Birthday Present

Copyright text © Rebecca Parkinson 2013Copyright illustrations © CWR 2013

Published 2013 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, UK. CWR is a Registered Charity – Number 294387 and a Limited Company registered in England – Registration Number 1990308.

The right of Rebecca Parkinson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR.

Visit www.cwr.org.uk/distributors for a list of National DistributorsConcept development, editing, design and production by CWRIllustrations by Mike Henson at CWRPrinted in China by 1010 Printing InternationalISBN: 978-1-85345-988-7

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